


Dramatization

by PinkGluestick



Category: South Park
Genre: Eric is dramatic, Eric thinks it’s life or death, Fluff, Fluff babies having feelings, Kyle knows his enemy, M/M, They are working on boyfriendhood, and sensitive, but things are new, stupid problems, teen for swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 17:21:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19398829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkGluestick/pseuds/PinkGluestick
Summary: Kyle was so close they were almost touching. Eric wanted them to stand there and keep it this way. Where all the implications were hanging in the air, but none of them were real. There was nothing for him to regret later because this was nothing; nothing was happening.“I just want to take you home.”———————-People talk sometimes, but Eric feels like the centerpiece all too often.





	Dramatization

“What’s this supposed to be.”

“I don’t know.”

Kyle stared daggers at his back, because there was no way this wasn’t what he thought it was.

“...You know it’s raining, right.”

“I’ve got all my five senses.” Eric muttered. He could feel the rain soaking his hat to his head as his pockets were collecting water the same way his shoes were. There would be lots of phenomena after this.

“What’s the smell sense have to do with this?”

“You can’t smell the rain?”

“No. It doesn’t have a scent.”

“It does.”

“Well I’ve never been able to smell much with my nose.” 

“I feel bad for you, Kyle.”

Kyle shrugged, not that Cartman could see it.

“Deviated septum.”

Eric didn’t say anything else. Rain kept collecting in parts of his clothing. He’d been here long before Kyle found him and there wasn’t an inch of him that was dry.

Eric watched the rain melt the snow. Nobody was around for miles as he stood there on the outskirts of town at the only bus stop. He’d be waiting here for a while, already had been. No one wanted to come to South Park where mortality rates were shockingly high and supernatural oddities were hourly.

Buses were slow getting there and it was only mid day. The next one wouldn’t be there until it was dark. Kyle knew he’d already been here for longer than he’d like to entertain.

“Let’s go back, Cartman. You’re not going to get very far like this.”

Eric finally looked at him. He looked tired, but only tired. He didn’t look like the withering pail of petals happening to his insides.

“You have no idea how far I can go, Kyle.”

“Not anywhere like *this*. You’re a wreck, Cartman. You’re unstable- The most likely thing is you’d end up kidnapped and sold like a souvenir. Bad people prey on emotions.”

“They couldn’t lift my fat ass into their trunk.” 

“Don’t leave town over this. It was a stupid mistake.” Kind of like his word choice. 

He knew that far undermined what Eric was going through, but Eric knew what he meant.

“I can’t stay here with everyone talking over my back.”

He turned away just as his eyes began to glitter.

“When have you ever cared what people say about you, Cartman?” Kyle knew actually exactly when Cartman had started to care.

“I always have.” His voice broke in the worst way. Fuck he’d said so much. It was useless to get hung up on that now, though. 

Kyle had been talking to him like an actual adult for years now. They’d all sort of had to when time forced them to grow up. It didn’t make anything easier, and it didn’t make them friends.

“That doesn’t sound like you.” Kyle pushed his sopping curls out of his eyes and sniffed. Every piece of clothing was throughly drenched in rain now- the ears on his hat created a sticky nightmare of freezing wet cotton over each cheek. He wanted a fucking bath. 

Kyle shoved his hands in his pocket and started to bounce for some warmth.

“What do you know about me Kyle?” Besides everything.

“That’s not what we’re talking about.” He took a step closer as Cartman took a step back.

“Let’s go home. I’ll tell Kenny or Butters to come over.”

“Kenny is the one who brought it up.”

“Then I’ll call Butters.”

“He pisses me off.”

You have to have someone, Cartman.” Kyle sounded stupid when his voice went soft.

Eric’s throat felt like he’d downed a cup of nails. It was tight and scratchy with the threat of a hard sob session coming on. He felt small and fat and stupid all at once.

“I don’t.” I don’t need anyone.

It wasn’t going to stop raining anytime soon. 

It was too cold to snow. 

Kyle had lost feeling in his thighs. What were the effects of freezing temperatures on your eyes? The brim of Eric’s hat sat right over his brows. Water was pouring over thick lashes.

Kyle closed the distance and stared at their shoes. He felt out of place for even coming here, and asking him to come home wouldn’t make this any better. 

He’d still be one of those people who’d talked.

“I’m sorry about-“

“Don’t.”

“Ok... I won’t. I don’t pity you, Cartman.”

“That’s good ‘cause I’d break your fucking teeth if you did.” His voice wavered all over the place. His head hurt so much, and Kyle’s kindness was only making it worse. 

If he wasn’t pitying him, why was he patronizing him?

“I’m still sorry to the universe for what I did. Whether you accept that or not, I fucked up, and I-“

“Fuck your stupid moral compass.”

Kyle was so close they were almost touching. Eric wanted them to stand there and keep it this way. Where all the implications were hanging in the air, but none of them were real. There was nothing for him to regret later because this was nothing; nothing was happening.

“I want to take you home.”

“JESUS, Kyle...” He checked the time on his phone. He knew he’d cave long before the bus arrived.  
“Buy me dinner first.”

“Fine.” The bout of an orange coat stepped close in Eric’s peripherals.  
“I will.”

Eric perked, brows knitting together. He looked up at Kyle with rain flushing down his cheeks.

“I mean, whatever.” Kyle shrugged.  
“Just get your ass away from the bus stop.”

It actually seemed to pick up from there as thunder rumbled in the distance. Kyle had every intention of ditching his ass in the safety of his house to get that warm shower at his own. He just needed to get him home first.

Eric didn’t move but something in his eyes did. They weren’t so pale missing the near constant glint they had. He stopped before he fell too far.

“....They’re going to keep talking.” 

“Yeah, well, you drove into Bebe’s house. People are gonna do that, dude.”

Eric swallowed. His hand came up to finally wipe the water from his eyes- something Kyle had been fighting to do himself since he could see his face. He could hardly stand to have hair in his way, but water cleansing out his corneas was a whole new ass breakdown. 

“Were you high?” It was unfortunate, but Kyle just had to ask.

“I don’t play with drugs, Kahl.” Eric’s nose wrinkled. The look he shot him was scathing, but Eric was not his mother. He didn’t think those jokes were funny.

“Were you serious about the date?” He said instead of feeding Kyle’s need to belittle him any further.

“Well...That was the deal. I don’t think it’s really necessary now.”

“I only come home on the agreed upon contract.” Eric crossed his arms and water came flooding from each sleeve when they squished against his chest.  
“Take it or leave it.”

They looked like they’d been wading in Wendy’s pool for half an hour with their winter coats on, and Kyle just wanted a fucking towel.

If this didn’t kill him, he was going to get his booster shot this flu season.

“Whatever, Cartman.” He sounded as exasperated as his admittedly worried heart could muster.  
“Fine. Get your ass home now.”

“Will you wear that red shirt?” Eric murmured, doing a complete 180 in the span of seconds.

“It doesn’t go well with my hair.” Kyle muttered, face beginning to burn.

Eric started walking away from the bus stop as promised. He lifted his chin to give Kyle a nice little eye lock when he passed by. 

“It really does.”

His height should make him less intimidating comparatively, but the red head was blustered all the same. 

He glared at Eric’s back as he sauntered off like nothing had happened. This vibe floating airlybarpund him like something victorious amd in a way that made Kyle wonder if this wasn’t expected. They’d been ‘hanging out’ way too many years for Kyle not to notice how absolutely extra the other boy was. It was GOD awful, of course. 

He’d definitely stage himself running away over something so insignificant (though Bebe might not think it was) just for Kyle to take him on a date.

On the other side of that bent up coin, Eric was probably totally going to run away because of something so insignificant. 

He was *also* THAT dramatic.

Nothing could be as nice as an apology or thank you with Eric Cartman. Not in Kyle’s case.

Kyle followed behind, and the rain fell harder. If he was going to poke fun, then so could Kyle.

“Are you going to wear a bra this time?” 

The shorter boy whirled around and marched right over to Kyle’s chest and stabbed a finger in it just as he was yelling that “That’s fucking private, KYLE!”.

“I’m just asking.” No he wasn't. 

All the same, he wouldn’t mind fixing Eric’s shoulder strap one more time while stuck in a void of surreality that Eric Cartman was wearing a fucking bra.

“You’re getting me breadsticks when we go out or I’m going back to the bus stop!”

“I am NOT getting you breadsticks.”

Eric effectively smashed his stupid green hat over his eyes and watched the water pummel his face. It was a small compromise.

Kyle was not getting those ass backwards breadsticks, but he was definitely wiping his feet on Eric’s silverware when he went to the bathroom.

“Take me home! I have to get ready for our date.”

“Why do you think that’s tonight? And it’s just dinner.”

Eric rolled his eyes and reached behind him for Kyle’s hand. Their gloves squished with all the water.

“Because I’m hungry now, *and* I’m gonna need it after you use my shower.”

“I wasn’t-“

“You definitely are. I can’t take care of your non-existent immune system.”

Kyle tried to slow the other down by adding his weight, but Eric clearly had a mission. He supposed it’d be better than waiting for that thunder to get worse.

“I meant we were going to my house.”

Eric stilled as Kyle took the lead. 

They didn’t need to look at each other to know what exactly that kind of meant for them

— or who was driving them to dinner.


End file.
